In a rather surprising new feature announcement related to the PlayStation 4, Sony has confirmed that the upcoming next-gen console’s Dual Shock 4 controller will be compatible with PC’s right from the console’s November launch.
Sony claims that PC users can use the controller’s analog sticks and buttons to perform what they term, “Basic functions”, and that they will work, “Just fine” in that regard. It’s unclear as to whether or not the more advanced Dual Shock 4 functions will work on PC, including its motion sensors, touch pad and light bar, even if the touch pad would certainly make sense for precision mouse control at the very least.
Sony also hasn’t confirmed at this time whether additional drivers will need to be downloaded to operate the Dual Shock 4 controller on a computer. The Dual Shock 3 controller that is used with their current PlayStation 3 console is officially unable to interact with PC’s. Despite this, unofficial workarounds have allowed users to use a Dual Shock 3 controller on their PC, if they’re willing to jump through the necessary hoops.
This announcement serves as a bit of a blow to Microsoft, who have confirmed that Xbox One controller compatibility won’t be offered to PC’s until next year. Nonetheless, the Xbox 360 controller has enjoyed PC compatibility for a while now, as has the current model of the Xbox 360’s Kinect camera. PC gamers are even able to use the Xbox 360 controller as a gamepad for most high-profile PC games, should they support that control method.
PlayStation 4 launches in North America on November 15th, and will come to Europe and Australia on November 29th. It will launch in most territories before the end of this year, though won’t reach Sony’s native Japan until February 2014, strangely enough.
Eggplante will continue to provide updates on the PlayStation 4 and its major hardware capabilities, as they become available.